African American surgeon Charles Richard Drew (1904-1950) has
been called "the father of the blood bank," for his
outstanding role in conceiving, organizing, and directing
America's first large-scale blood banking program during the
early years of World War II. While best known for the blood
bank work, Drew devoted much of his career to raising the
standards of African American medical education at Howard
University, where he trained a generation of outstanding
surgeons, and worked to break through the barriers that
segregation imposed on black physicians. His premature death
in a car accident generated enduring stories that he was a
victim of medical segregation, though this was repeatedly
proved false.

The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University
in Washington, DC is the repository for the Charles R. Drew Papers,
which range from
1900 to
the 1980s.
The collection contains
photographs, personal and professional correspondence, published articles, lectures, laboratory notebooks, and research notes,
along with materials relating to his death and legacy.

As part of its Profiles in Science project, the National
Library of Medicine has collaborated with
the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center to digitize and make
available over the World Wide Web a selection of the
Charles R. Drew Papers for use by educators and researchers.
This site provides access to the portions of the Charles R. Drew Papers
of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center
that have been selected for digitization. Individuals interested
in conducting research in the Charles R. Drew Papers are invited
to contact the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center.

This online Exhibit is designed to introduce you to the various
phases of Drew's career and professional life. It is
divided into sections that focus on Drew's life and major
contributions to blood banking and surgical education. We
suggest that new visitors begin with this exhibit, which includes
a small selection of documents and visuals, organized within
these sections. Each section begins with a "Background Narrative,"
which leads to "Documents" and "Visuals."

Visitors may access additional materials through Search
on the navigation bar. They may also view the materials alphabetically or
chronologically by choosing Browse
on the navigation bar. Documents and visuals in these lists are arranged by
format and then either alphabetically by title or chronologically.